Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SNOW), a leading North American mountain resort and adventure company, today announced that RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology will be launched at its Steamboat and Winter Park resorts for the upcoming 2015/16 winter season with SKIDATA.

“Always looking to enhance the guest experience, we’re excited to roll out RFID technology at Steamboat and Winter Park this season,” said Sky Foulkes, chief operating officer for Intrawest. “Industry-leading guest service is at the core of our resorts, and the RFID technology will improve the guest experience and enhance our operating efficiency.”

I recently was reading a study that touted the mental and health benefits of taking a walk in the woods. The article stated that the Japanese actually have a special word for a walk in the woods, shinrin-yoku, which literally translates to “forest bathing.” How perfect is this description!

Living in Steamboat, most everyone knows the immediate sense of relief when we forgo the busy bike paths and streets and take a trip into our beautiful woods. Our souls are lighter and more free. Gone are the distractions of our busy and over-scheduled lives, and we are free to enjoy the magic of the moment. I have had this sense many times, whether it’s a walk in the wilderness or a ski through the ethereal aspens, the peace brings a calm to my mind and spirit.

The Steamboat Grand Hotel announces the hiring of Paul Barry as director of engineering for the hotel, which is located at the base of Steamboat Resort.

“Paul brings a wealth of knowledge not only in the arena of engineering but across the Steamboat community having played a part in some of the biggest projects in the Yampa Valley, including the construction of the Steamboat Grand,” said Mike Lomas, vice president and general manager of the Steamboat Grand. “His commitment to quality work combined with his leadership and hospitality management skills will help elevate the Steamboat Grand to new levels.”

Downhill mountain biking is different from typical cross-country mountain biking, and the trail design requires a different set of equipment. For riding the gravity-fed trails in the Steamboat Bike Park, we recommend using a dedicated downhill bike; cross-country mountain bikes are not appropriate for the downhill trails.

Steamboat’s winter flight program will feature expanded nonstop air service from six of the 11 cities with flights into Steamboat/Hayden Airport (HDN) for the 2015/16 winter season. The upcoming service represents an approximately 13 percent increase in seats flying from nonstop markets to Steamboat; the second winter season in a row of seat growth into Hayden airport.